Sicut Cervus, 1594, Palestrina: A Vocal Performance
Sicut Cervus was composed by one of the most celebrated Renaissance composers, Giovanni
Pierluigi de la Palestrina. Palestrina spent most of his life in Italy in various clerical positions and
wrote both secular and ecclesiastic pieces, though like so many of his contemporaries, he never
took Holy Orders. Palestrina wrote 104 masses, “and composed in every other liturgical genre
of his day, as well as nearly 100 madrigals.” (Dickey, 2017)
Flamma Chorum has chosen to perform this piece as if meeting with friends for a social
gathering in an Italian city, around the year 1604, when this piece was officially published. This
piece of sacred music would have been available in the book Motecta Festorum Liber Secundus
Motectorum : Quae Partim Quinis, Partim Senis, Partim Octonis Vocibus Concinuntur, which
translates to 2nd Book of Motets, where part five, or six, or eight words are sung. In spite of the
book being published in 1604, the song Sicut Cervus, was composed between 1525-1594 in
Italy. The quest to find the extant piece of music was a difficult one. Many Universities were
Figure 1 Giovanni Pierluigi de la Palestrina (BandPalestrina, 2017)
Sicut Cervus, 1594, Palestrina: A Vocal Performance
Figure 2 and 3 Motecta Festorum, 1875 Redaction
called and emails exchanged, it took almost a month but we did successfully find the extant
copy of the bass and soprano parts, as well as an early translation of all parts, courtesy of Franz
Espagne. Espange’s translation is written in German, yet all of the redactions from the extant
piece are in its original Latin. (Espagne, 1875) Please find the extant copy at the end of this
documentation.
According to Richard Fuller, keyboardist and worship leader for St. Marys Church in
Scarborough, Renaissance church music is described as choral polyphony. (Fuller, 2010) Often
times, these songs were referred to as a motet, the simplistic definition of a motet is “a short
piece of sacred choral music, typically polyphonic and unaccompanied.” (Manning, 2017)
Polyphony refers to having more than a single part sung and “ choral polyphony was intended
to be sung a cappella.” (Manning, 2017) This performance of Sicut Cervus will be sung with no
musical accompaniment in order to keep the original intention of vocal beauty relevant.
Sicut Cervus, 1594, Palestrina: A Vocal Performance
Sicut Cervus is a song written using direct wording from Psalm 42 as often songs used in
mass settings are. In a beautiful description, author Timothy Dickey describes how this
particular piece may have been to the 16th century person:
“To a sixteenth century Catholic mind, the Psalm text "Sicut cervus desiderat ad fontes aquarum" would evoke two extremely important liturgical situations. The first comes once a year, during the Easter Vigil. The Church's celebration of Christ's Resurrection took place on the night before Easter, with a splendid array of liturgical fireworks. The dark penintence of Lent and Holy Week end with the lighting of "new fire," the chant Exultet, the grand Litanies of the Saints, and a service that resounds with "Alleluias." During this service, new converts to the faith would be examined and brought forth for Holy Baptism, and would thus celebrate their first Communion on the day of Christ's victory. Sicut cervus serves as the Tract on this brilliant feast day, sung during the procession to the baptismal font. In this context, the Psalm text resonates with the sacramental waters of Baptism as well as the living water of the Eucharist.” (Dickey, 2017)
In order to enhance the vocal performance,
care was taken to present an authentic
representation of how the piece may have been sung.
As one can see in paintings from the time period,
music was an important aspect to social function.
When looking at the paintings, one can see the
importance of music to the livelihood of a social
gathering. Not only that, but when searching, one
often comes upon entire family portraits, such as the Figure 4 Musicians 1502-1550, Belgium
Psalm 42
As the deer longs for streams of water,
so my soul longs for you, O God (Psalms, 2017)
Original Latin
Sicut cervus desiderat ad fontes aquarum,
ita desiderat anima mea ad te, Deus. (Psalms, 2017)
Sicut Cervus, 1594, Palestrina: A Vocal Performance
Van Berchem Family Portrait. Here, the entire
family gathers around a center of musicality, as
if they all share in the love and art of song.
To maximize authenticity, each choir
member is outfitted in clothing indicative of
Italian or English dress from the years between
1550-1570. It was important to look the part of
those who may have originally sung the song so as to transport the listener back in time.
In many works of art created
during the 16th century, one can see
many musicians gathered around a
single book of music while others show
the preference for a lectern or music
stand. For this performance, due to the
size of our choir, we have opted to not
gather around a single book of music,
but instead to use a double-sided lectern
like the one you find pictured on the 16th century wood panel painting entitled Concert of
Sacred Musicians. If one looks closely they can see that the singers and page turners gather
towards the front of the stand, while other musicians stand behind.
Figure 5 Van Berchem family portrait, 1561 (Floris)
Figure 6 Concert of Sacred Musicians 1530 (Burgkmair)
Sicut Cervus, 1594, Palestrina: A Vocal Performance
This piece was practiced for a 4-month time period in which Latin pronunciation was
extensively studied and honed. The timing and running notation proved to be very challenging
and was practiced using single voices, various parts together and as an entire choir. Due to the
varied musical training of members, some of whom can read music, some of whom cannot,
every practice has been a learning experience. Below you will find a copy of the modernly
redacted piece for ease of following along.
Sicut Cervus, 1594, Palestrina: A Vocal Performance
Sicut Cervus, 1594, Palestrina: A Vocal Performance
Sicut Cervus, 1594, Palestrina: A Vocal Performance
Sicut Cervus, 1594, Palestrina: A Vocal Performance
Sicut Cervus, 1594, Palestrina: A Vocal Performance
Extant Soprano and Bass
Parts (Palestrina, 1604)
Sicut Cervus, 1594, Palestrina: A Vocal Performance
Bibliography (n.d.).
BandPalestrina. (2017, 02 12). Giovanni Peirluigi de la Palestrina (1525-1594). Retrieved from
Associazione Musicale Bandistica Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina:
http://www.bandapalestrina.it/giovanni-pierluigi-da-palestrina.html?showall=1&limitstart=
Burgkmair, H. (n.d.). Concert of Sacred Music . Collection of John Appleby, Ausburg 1530.
Dickey, T. (2017, 2 12). Artist Biography. Retrieved from All Music :
http://www.allmusic.com/artist/giovanni-pierluigi-da-palestrina-mn0001213399
Elder, P. C. (n.d.). Musicians . De Agostini Picture Library, 1502-1550, Belgium .
Espagne, F. (1875). Motecta Festorum . Berlin : Sacred Harmonic Society.
Floris, F. (n.d.). Van Berchem Family . Museum Wuyts-Van Campen en Baron Caroly, Leir.
Fuller, R. P. (2010, 02 15). Renaissance Music . Retrieved from RP Fuller Renaissance Music :
http://rpfuller.com/gcse/music/renaissance.html
Manning, C. (2017, 4 12). Chealsea Manning, Author and Classical Singer . Retrieved from O Magnum
from 3 composers : https://chealseamanning.wordpress.com
Palestrina, G. P. (1604). Liber Secundus Motectorum : Quae Partim Quinis, Partim Senis, Partim Octonis
Vocibus Concinuntur. Rome .
Psalms. (2017, 04 10). Bible (The New American Translation). Retrieved from United States Conference
of Catholic Bishops: http://www.usccb.org/bible/psalms/42